Denver Public Schools security guard charged with sexual exploitation of a minor
An incident alleged to have occurred last year has culminated in the arrest of a Denver Public Schools security guard.
Jeffrey James Blanchard has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, a class-five felony.
Blanchard, 27, of Lakewood, is accused of uploading several images of child sexual exploitation to the social media platform Snapchat in March of 2021. The company alerted the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, which then made its way down to the Lakewood Police Department in March of 2022 after Blanchard was identified by investigators.
Blanchard has been a security guard for seven years, according to the Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office; four years at local hospitals such as Littleton Hospital and St. Anthony's Hospital and three years for Denver Public Schools Campus Safety.
At the time of the alleged incident, he worked as a security guard at JFK High School in Denver, the District Attorney's Office said. Most recently, Blanchard worked security at Hamilton Middle School in Denver.
Blanchard was arrested on Dec. 14 and was released on bond. He is set for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 11, 2023.
He is no longer employed nor affiliated with DPS, according to a DPS spokeswoman.
"It is our top priority to ensure the safety and security of all our students," she said. "DPS cannot comment on the ongoing investigation. A notification to parents at potentially affected schools was sent."
Additional information is forthcoming, pending an open records request.
